h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Welcome to h2g2 - the only latin I know is "Nils desperandum illigitimos carborundum" = Don't let the children of unmarried parents (b*st*rds) grind you down - There are lots of word games here that you should enjoy

My name is Feisor and I am an ACE (Assistant Community Editor) here at h2g2.

We ACEs are here to assist new researchers so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
You can leave a message on my space just by clicking on my name at the top of this message or by hitting the reply button below - it won't hit back (usually).

The "Italics" (they are the people who run this place - so-called because their names are displayed in bold italics - God Bless 'Em) have left a message for newcomers at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Welcome-Newcomers
it's got a lot of the basic background and how-tos that you will need - a good place to start

Then you can take the H2G2 Tour at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A317459 to see how it all works

If you want to explore try Sheas List of links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A534953
or

Jeffs Welcome Page
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A579431

Both are great places to begin your journey .

And finally, the editors of our own newspaper The H2G2 Post have made up a page of links - you can find it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A616718 and then you can read The Post

Well - that should keep you busy for a while I am sure that you will love this community as much as we do There's lots of things to see, clubs to join and people to meet - please don't be shy - just jump right in - this is a friendly place. But be careful - it can become quite addictive - believe me I know



Enjoy!!
Have fun!!!
and above all DON'T PANIC!!!


Feisor

Hello Feisor,

Thanks for the message. It is encouraging to find a place on the internet where people are actually interesting and intelligent. I have just one small problem. Having just read some of the articles on here, I have never felt so unhappy with editorial content. As a confession, I am actually a trained journalist, although I no longer work in that field as I became so disillusioned - now I am a computer programmer.

Writing is sacred to me, so it is important to get it right. Looking at the articles, the majority are so boring and useless, it makes me want to not bother at all. The writing is all grammatically correct etc, but has no style, no commedy and nothing that would show the amount of effort that is actually put into this site.

It seems that everyone is an editor and that school children are writing the articles. I have read perhaps 20 articles now - they may have just been bad ones - and did internet searches on them. I found that 13 of them existed already in some form or another - but pretty much identical, word for word - on other websites, mainly encyclopaedias or similar. Is this what this is supposed to be? Just getting people to copy other peoples work so that you can get around copyright laws. Do you even know that this is going on?

I often play chess on the internet and though I was playing against some very good players until someone told me that the people I were playing against were using a chess machine. What was the point? They just wanted to win and would do anything to win. I think that you have these kind of people putting artices on here. Taking other articles and blatantly copying them so as that they can say "I have five articles on H2G2, look at me - aren`t I clever".

The point of writing, as any professional editor will tell you is that people must want to read it. The vast majority of this site is frankly full of rubbish. Douglas Adams would turn in his early grave. Rehashing useless info from other places on the web and putting all in one place is something that would have made him sick. A be all and end all place for thinking and writing is a great idea but it must be original. And would it not be possible to have other sections put in? Something for the younger audience etc.. Most people on here seem to be over 50. Which is fine. But there are generation gaps. Some things that I would say would upset many people older than me but practically no-one of my age.

Please try and encourage me.

I like the idea of this and would like to see it work..

Yours

M

* Stands open mouthed, stunned *

Hi M, yes some of the entries are written by school children. That is the beauty of the Guide, that anyone can write for it. Most people here are amateur writers, including me. The Guide - as a community - helps out each other. I'm sorry you didn't find anything to interest you here, maybe if you let us know some things you are interested in, we can point you to an entry you might like.
If you have found something duplicated (after making sure it hasn't been duplicated by the h2g2 writer, or plagarised from here) if you bring it to the attention of one of the editors http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/team, it will be looked into, as we are not allowed to take other people's work as our own. If you'd like to read anything I have written, click on my name and it will take you to my space where you can find my work. As a (new) sub editor I have a lot of work on my space that is not mine, but you should find something there that I wrote. I can assure you, my work is all my own.

as you say you like Chess, if you haven't already, try these...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A73270
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A395435
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A251795

You may have found many people over 50, but there are a lot of youngsters here too, many teenagers use this site.
I hope you find something to encourage you.

PS I look forward to seeing your entries, as an ex journalist, I am sure there is much you can teach us, and maybe there is a volunteer group you could join when you know your way around the site.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/volunteers

Erm... As a comedy wrtiter in my spare time, I share your passion for the written word. The guide isn't perfect. Nothing is. Not everyone here has the benefit of your wisdom. the standards a lot of the researchers work to are probably a lot lower than you are used to in your previous line of work. The guide is more than just a data repository though. It's a whole community. almost all of the hundreds of people I have encountered in the past few years have been really freindly. That's something you can't fake with perfect journalistic style.

Well said, CS. I just thought that I'd add that not all of us are Sub-Editors - in fact, about 45 of us are, and we're all kept busy. The Edited Guide *is* intended to be largely factual - although there are humorous articles out there. If factual entries aren't your thing, then maybe you should go over to the Alternative Writing Workshop - linked to from Peer Review (click the banner above). This is a place for non-Edited Guide material that people still want to improve.

Next, wouldn't h2g2 be *very* boring if everyone was a great writer? Different people are good at different things, there are readers, talkers, helpers, writers, and all-rounders.

Next 'most of you are over 50'. In fact, most of us don't care to reveal our ages on-site. It's of little importance really, since it's skills and attitude that count, not age or status. FYI, I'm an all-rounder, carrying 4 badges and being in charge of the Reports, being an author and a talker, and I'm only 16, studying for my GCSEs.

'I have never felt so unhappy with Editorial Content' - why? It does it's job. There are great writers on h2g2, like Catwoman, to name just one (only because I've subbed her stuff). 'The majority are... ...useless' - are they? How can one person be the judge of that? Different things are useful to different people, one man's rubbish really is another's treasure. 'The writing... ...has no style' - this is something that we as Sub-Eds have to take great care over. Different people's writing does have it's own unique style - and it's not our job to go removing it. How much of the EG have you cared to read yet? Maybe you haven't found the best stuff yet - try the Infinite Improbability Drive on the front page.

'I have x articles on h2g2... ...aren't I clever?' Er... ...no. Personally, my experience as a sub is that people are sharing the vision of the Guide - and are selflessly making the effort to enjoy themselves whilst sharing their knowledge with others.

Copying articles for Entries is called plagiarism - and it's forbidden. If you spot any and can prove it, talk to the towers off-site by clicking the link in the right-hand column for complaints and mark 'FAO: Italics'.

'Douglas Adams would turn in his grave'. How sick are you? The vast majority of info isn't copied, and DNA endorsed this project and supported it to the last day of his life. h2g2 *is* original and friendly - I haven't found a better community yet - and as part of the Reports, I've tried.

'Generation Gaps' - er, no. Fact spans generations. Age is of little importance here. I have made friends here that I couldn't have done in real life. I know a teacher from Devon, some Germans, Aussies, Americans, and other Brits, all with knowledge and .

'I... ...would like to see it work'. It is working. At least, that's been the Report's conclusion so far. The Reports aren't my opinion - there are several of us on the team - newbies and old hands alike. I do hope that you enjoy h2g2, and help us to write more for the Guide, but telling us all we're c**p is not helping - intelligent, consturctive criticism, yes. The Edited Guide is the result of many people's hard work. In time, I hope it'll include yours, M. While you're at it, you might like to go to 'Preferences' and get a name.

Finally, I'd be pleased to get a reply to this. I can think of nothing more feeble and unhelpful than to criticise and leave.

OK, I've said enough. I eagerly await your response...

'I reckon it's all the same to you, I'd better just get you shoved into this airlock and go and get on with some other bits of shouting I've got to do'

Fair points. Taken on board and feeling very encouraged. Thanks people. Was needing some inspiration and now I have it. Sorry, I am just over cynical and trying to make sure that people are actually aware of what is going on here.

Anyway, I will make a point of reporting any plagiarism so as to keep the guide pure. I am sorry that you have not noticed. Check for yourselves. It is the first job of a sub. Well done everyone for an excellnt job in keeping this thing going and please accept my apologies. I often make my criticisms louder than my praise because I often feel that the positivities of something are rather obvious to those who know it.

Being used to highly stringent word counts, compulsory double-spacing and violent subs has made me slightly over expectant on others professionalism. Here, these things don`t matter, so I will shut up. Thanks for the confidence boost. I am starting to like this place.

Keep it up.

And sorry.

And if you think this harsh, you should have read my restaurant review for the Mezzo!

But you do have to look at the inner workings at some point. The site can not expand for ever. But I guess that is not a problem yet.



M

I had no intention of criticising and leaving. Plus, they were not criticisms of the guide - merely to the entries that I have read. I suppose due to equality of the site, I will have to know which writers are good, which takes time, as you do not exactly advertise them. This is fair enough and seems to work, but makes it very difficult to enter in some ways. Has anyone thought of having a sister site that was purely `read-only`, that contained continually updated articles that were the best. This would encourage more people to become involvde, simply because it is easier to see the achievments, rather than having to get to know everyone first.

For me, as a newbie, it has been very off-putting coming in here because despite the friendliness, it is often very difficult to find your way round, even after reading all the guides.

I hope no has been offended. If you can`t take criticism you have no place as a writer as you will never improve. I encourage it and through finding my own faults can strive to do better. As you have criticised me now for what I said - I now know much more about this place and am now beginning to learn how I maight be able ot help make it better.

I have a friend - who recommended it to me - who has been on this for months. She has written several articles and loads of messages and has received about a grand total of eight replies. She just did not provoke a response.

Thanks for your help. I am grateful.

Yours.

M

I AM A NUMBER NOT A MAN........

Sorry whoami, you are probably to young to remember this.

Good luck.


M

ammend: too

This one should be easy.....

Rut mean mana, I`m a nob.
Tambourine man mana.


Guess the phrase.....

Hello M, congratulations you are the recipient of my first post of the day.
The reason the "good writers" don't advertize is that we don't think "Look at me, I've written 5 entries for the BBC".
I'm a full-time carer who works at home and this site allows me to write in my spare time.
I'm 46 years old, so maybe we should start a seperate thread, as if you think there's nothing you could say which would offend me, you'd be very wrong.
I've been with this site for 18months now, and I've seen bad entries, I've seen excellent entries.
Believe me, any plagiurism is reported.
I thank you for your apology and I am sure you wrote your original reply to provoke a reaction, and having got one, realized the people here are "real" and decided it's not such a bad place after all.

I'm sorry your friend has had such a small response after being here some months.
This sometimes happens, there are over 80,000 registered users.
The best way to make friends is to join in the conversations, or click the "who's online" list, and click on a name, and start a conversation with them.
We love it when someone new visits our page for a chat.

We love to show off the smileys.
We also love it when someone reads our entries then posts and tells us so
What we don't do is go round advertizing.
I would be delighted if you would visit my personal space and read some of my entries.
You may find my entry on "Driving Etiquette - Kuwait" funny, you may not. It certainly got my friends laughing.
You may be moved to tears by my "Stillbirth" entry, which was thoroughly researched by myself and are my own words written from my own experience.
Then you wouild probably not be interested in my Hysterectomy entry...

I feel like I am advertizing now,

By the way, should you ever wish to visit my home town, I wrote a very good entry {IMHO and the Peer Reviews opinion} about Cleethorpes

OK, tongue completely out of cheek, do drop by my space for a chat.


~Galaxy Babe~

p.s. You're not Michael Winner, by any chance, are you?

Thanks AGB. M, has your opinion of the Guide changed yet? Go on, read some more, and without demolishing anyone's work, tell us what you've been reading a bit...

Whoami?

WOW M ... you have certainly stimulated a response

As you can see - some of us are quite passionate about h2g2 - and can be quite ... er ... um ... strident (?) in our defence of it.
*waves in the direction of Whoami*
But the points that have been made are quite valid. Given the varied ages, talents and interests of our researchers I am sure that if you persevere you will find something you enjoy - and I am sure that we are all looking forward to your first entry .

"There are currently 3265 Edited Entries in the Guide." That's a quote from the statistics page - and there are HEAPS more entries that are not submitted for the Edited Guide - lots of reading

Enjoy

And let me know if I can be of assistance


Feisor

"The site can not expand for ever."

Any reason why not?

*waves back at Feisor*

Yeah - I'd actually like to say that you've made some very intelligent points, M. It's not often we get someone who is able to elaborate on their criticisms of us satisfactorily. If you want to take a look at the Reports, go to my space by clicking my name, follow the Left Hand Column down to my Entries, click 'more entries' and head for 'The h2g2 Reports home. Who knows, you may have something to add to a future Report at some stage...

Whoami?

h2g2 will, as Mina probably reasons, expand as long as people are willing to write stuff for it. Server space is the only limiting factor,, and this can be increased when necessary. The real limit to h2g2 is how /fast/ the EG can expand...

Whoami?

another point:

Community events in real life:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A435791

We had Dutch meet a few weeks ago.
it was so much fun to meet H2G2 reseachers. H2G2 can create friends for life. on and off line.

I am not very good writer, but sometimes is it ideas behind it.

the internet has no borders. H2G2 is ultimate way to express yourself lot of people can not even talk in public.

WOW-greeting,
pheloxi
creator of
ecalpemos, the virtual continent
ecalpemos webguide

WOW - Wish Only Well